


Boy Afraid

by hellokittyjimin



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Angst, Emo, Gay, Gay Panic, High School, M/M, Teen Romance, idk tbh, josh tops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25996012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellokittyjimin/pseuds/hellokittyjimin
Summary: Tyler was waiting for his eighteenth birthday, then he’d be free. Free from all the pain and shit that came with being a foster kid. After a bad stunt gets him in trouble with the law, he’s onto his next “family”. He decides to make this one last, but when his new foster brother, Josh, turns out to be an unapproachable asshole, he rethinks his decision.
Relationships: Josh Dun & Tyler Joseph, Josh Dun/Original Character(s), Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Boy Afraid

Music has always been my escape. For as long as I can remember, it's been that way. There was never a living soul there for me, but Kurt Cobain was. 

Words never had much meaning to me, that is unless they were put to song. Art was louder than actions, nothing meant more to me.

But I'm stuck in Ohio, the bane of my existence. Here people don't think the way I do. They say I'm just a troubled boy, I mean, aren't all foster kids? If I had any say, I think they're the troubled ones, all living in their white picket fenced yards with their perfect kids and little teacup dogs. They live fake lives, all under a facade of money and pearls.

I'm not troubled, I just don't put up with their bullshit.

"Tyler, how are you feeling?" Ms. Fiona called from the other side of the Subaru. 

I tore my eyes from the cold, damp freeway and looked at her. She had soft features, accompanied by honey eyes. She was around fifty-five if I had to guess.

Fiona was my assigned social worker, she had been since I was about nine. She seems to be one of the few people around here that might actually give a shit about me. 

Today was a grim day, I'd fucked up for the last time and I was on my way to my brand new family. I think this might be number 26, but I started to lose count at about 12. Fiona says they're nice people, granted that's what she says about everyone.

"Normal, I guess," I mumbled, not really in the mood for small talk.

"The Duns have two sons, one is your age actually." She said softly, in her most mothering voice.

"Great," I said sarcastically. If they grew up with foster kids all their lives, they're probably fucked up. Let's be honest here, I'm not the best kid, but it can seriously get a lot worse than me.

"Think positively. Maybe they'll be friendly or at the very least cordial."

"I'm not really looking for friends," I said, looking back into the streets of Rutherford, Ohio. Where nothing extraordinary happens, just like every other town I've lived in. It was wet and green, and terribly cold almost all year.

"Maybe you could try and make this one... a little more permanent, Tyler," Fiona said in her soft voice. I sighed, I knew I disappointed her. Ruining every single new chance at a family. I couldn't help it, if I managed to stay anywhere long enough without getting into trouble, I'd claw my own eyes out. I hated Ohio, everything about it. The people included. This one wouldn't last, just like the other twenty-something families.

I stayed quiet for the rest of the drive, watching the trees pass by from the window. I put my headphones in, turning the volume as high as I could without bothering Fiona. I softly hummed to myself, silently hoping this last year of high school would suddenly be over.

* * *

"Tyler!" 

I shot up, my headphones flinging out of my ears. Ms. Fiona was looking at me, a smile on her wrinkled lips. 

"You fell asleep, honey." She said looking at me under her dark eyelashes.

"Oh, shit. Sorry," I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes. The sun started to set now, and the rain had quieted to a slight drizzle.

"It's alright, we're here."

"Okay," I said nonchalantly, "let me get my bags."

I dragged myself out of the electric blue car, mentally preparing myself for the meeting of my new roommates. I pulled my duffle bag out of the backseat and slung it over my shoulder. I walk back cautiously to Fiona, waiting for her to speak next.

"Mom and Dad's names are Bill and Laura. I've spoken with them on the phone, they're excited to meet you." She spills out with a smile.

I force myself to let a forced grin out, hoping she takes it seriously. She huffs, rolling her eyes. I must not have been very convincing.

"C'mon, you're going to have to pretend a little better than that." She says in response, "You have less than a year, Tyler. Then you can go off and party and do whatever you want, but for now, you have to follow the rules. I don't want to hear of any more incidents, okay?" She said with a pained smile. I felt for Fiona, she had kids, but they didn't come around often. She was the kind of person to really put her all into her job, I admired her for that.

"I'll try."

"Good, now get your little butt in there and be nice." She said pushing me towards the front door. I rolled my eyes.

"Bye, Fiona"

"Goodbye, Tyler. I hope I won't have to see you for a long time!" She said waving me off. Part of me wished I could make that happen, but the other part knows that it's only so long until I fuck something up again.

She pulls the blue Subaru out of the Dun's long driveway, I sigh to myself. 

I trudge up to their stone path to their grand mahogany front door. I press the doorbell, inhaling a sharp breath. 

I wait for what seems like a short eternity, the door is swung open by a woman. I have to look down at her, my short stature still towering over her. She gives me a toothy grin, her warm eyes calming my nerves.

"Tyler, welcome!" She gestures for me to enter.

I walk inside, the smell of freshly made dinner envelopes my senses. My stomach growls, I hadn't even realized I was hungry.

I look around the foyer, big and spacious, yet warm and cozy. The house is very open, although far away, I can see straight into the living area from here. It's a nice house, the brown and burgundy colors enriching the comforting feel of the decor.

"I'm Laura. Let me show you to your room." I hadn't even said a word before she began walking down a hallway on her right. I followed steadily, looking at the different pictures scattered on the blonde walls. Fiona was right. They had two sons by the look of it.

Laura stopped at the end of the hallway, opening the last door on the left. She turned back to look at me smiling, "This will be your room. You can go ahead and get settled or unpacked, dinner will be ready soon."

"Thank you," I said quietly, giving her a soft smile.

She turned back down the long hallway, walking with a pep in her step. I sighed to myself, relaxing my shoulders. Walking into the room, there isn't much to see. It looks like the normal middle-class guest room. The room was pretty spacious, but most of it was taken up by a full-sized bed in the center of the back wall. It was covered in a blue plaid blanket, that Id say came from the 80s.

I laid my bag onto the bed, throwing myself down onto the other side. I stared up to the blank ceiling before me, thinking over everything.

Laura seemed nice enough, although all of my foster moms had a tendency to act a certain way in the beginning. I'm surprised a seemingly nice family like the Duns were willing to take me in, with my juvenile record and such.

I flip myself over onto the bed, groaning. I need to unpack, but maybe not yet. The beginnings are always the hardest part, the new families, new school. I'm tired of repeating introductions to people who don't matter. That's all this is; number twenty-six on my growing list of new places.

Some time passes, I'm still laying on the ugly plaid bedspread. Daydreaming about the day I can finally leave this place, when I can finally be free.

"Tyler," I hear a soft voice and knock from the other side of the white, wooden door, "Dinner is ready."

I pull myself upright, the bed springs squeaking as I move. I stand, stretching my arms out.

I make my way down the same lagging hallway as before, into what I presume is the dining room. It seems I'm the last one to arrive. There's four of them, sitting at a rather grandiose stained table. Laura sits at the head of the table across from Bill, I assume. Two boys with thick heads of curls sit in between them, one a bit smaller than the other.

"Sit, dear," Laura says with the same sweet grin as before.

I oblige, sitting in between the taller son and Laura. I notice him looking at me from the corner of my vision, I turn to meet my eyes to his big brown ones. My breath caught in my throat, and I peeled my sight away, awkwardly. 

"Everyone this is Tyler," Laura finally announced my arrival. "Tyler, this is my husband Bill and our sons, Josh and Jordan." She gestured the smaller one to be Jordan, so that means Josh is the one sitting to my left. I felt a weight on that side of me, where he was. Like my body was hyperaware of his presence.

"Hello, Tyler. It's a pleasure to meet you," Bill said in a deep voice, I would've been intimidated if he wasn't such a soft-looking man. He had kind eyes, under his oversized glasses.

"You too."

"Hi, Tyler! I'm Jordan! Do you like Minecraft?" He spouted at me, his eyes full of life. If I had to guessI'd say he was about ten or eleven. He sported a buck-toothed smile, and wore a teenage mutant ninja turtles t-shirt.

"Yeah, do you play?" I said back to him. He gave me a wide grin in return.

"Of course! It's so epic. I play every day, I'd play more, but mom only lets me have Xbox time for 1 hour on school nights." He announced, his curly hair bouncing on top of his head.

"We should play together sometime," I gave him a cheesy smile back. Laura chuckles from the other side of me.

I sneak another glance at Josh, who was now looking down at his dinner plate. I mentally rolled my eyes, not like I wanted to introduce myself anyway.

Dinner was chicken lasagna, weird, but surprisingly good. The three of them chatted about their days, and jobs, and school. But Josh was silent the whole time. I sat listening to their conversations trying to feel the burning presence beside me.

After dinner, I trudged my way back to my new bedroom setting aside some sleep clothes and gathering all my toiletries. Laura had shown me to the bathroom, It was only a few doors down from my bedroom, luckily. 

I make my way to the door, swiftly pushing it open. I stop in my tracks when I realize someone was in the bathroom. My eyes are flicker to the body in front of the door, my stomach drops at the sight of a chiseled, god-like back standing before me. The body turns around at the sound of my entrance, his frontside was somehow even more impressive. His toned chest and ripped torso made my mouth suddenly go dry.

Then my eyes dart up to his, I felt my muscles stiffen. He had an unreadable look on his face, almost angry, but not quite. The beautiful brown sunk into my soul, filling it with warmth. I failed to breathe, as Josh kept his gaze locked onto me. He looked like he was pondering something, before snarling, "knock next time," and slamming the door in my face.

I almost gasped at the change in pace. Embarrassed and ashamed I locked myself into my room, swearing not to come out for the rest of the night. I flopped back onto my bed, wishing the world to go away. Of course, the only time my foster family seems like it might work out, they just have to have the hottest son possible?

I groan to myself, it's no big deal. It was just an honest mistake on my part. I'll apologize tomorrow and everything will be fine. I'll go to school and keep my distance. 

God, I have no idea how I'm supposed to stay here for another eight months.

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know what to say ... thanks for reading cuties.


End file.
